Al Golden Proves His Best Ability Is Recruiting, Lands 4 Prospects in One Day

It seems like ages since Miami sat atop the college football mountaintop, but Hurricanes head coach Al Golden continues to assemble a solid foundation of young talent that should further fuel expectations of a return climb.

The program pulled in four 2016 commitments Sunday, per the Miami Herald, sending a strong message that a lack of recent on-field success hasn't entirely sullied its luster.

Miami secured pledges from safety Cedrick Wright, defensive end Joseph Jackson, defensive tackle Keyshon Camp and running Amir Rasul within hours of one another.

Each prospect is a Sunshine State product and gives the Hurricanes plenty to build upon with more than a year remaining in the 2016 recruiting cycle.

Jackson, an explosive 6'4", 229-pound edge-rusher from Gulliver Prep, is the latest of seven 4-star 2016 recruits to commit to the Hurricanes. The haul now includes 11 players, each of whom has garnered scholarship offers from programs that have enjoyed more success than the Hurricanes in recent years. 

Quarterback Jack Allison, rated seventh nationally among pro-style quarterbacks, elected to join Miami's class last summer, spurning offers from an array of schools that included Alabama, Missouri and Tennessee.

"It was a perfect fit," he told John Lembo of the Bradenton Herald.

Allison was quickly joined in the collection of future Hurricanes by heralded wide receivers Dionte Mullins and Sam Bruce. Both pass-catchers are listed among the top 12 prospects at their position in 247Sports' composite rankings.

Credit: 247Sports

Other pivotal 2016 pickups along the way include 4-star linebackers Zach McCloud and Shaquille Quarterman, who tallied 311 tackles through his first three high school seasons.

Golden has drawn ire from many Miami fans for his inability to return the program to national prominence. He is just 28-22 through four seasons since arriving from Temple, sputtering at 16-16 against ACC opponents.

Still, mediocrity hasn't translated into recruiting.

Since Golden's arrival, the Hurricanes have locked up three top-15 classes on national signing day. Miami currently holds the top-rated recruiting class in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2016.

The program is finally emerging from a multitude of off-field issues and scholarship sanctions that cost roster development dearly.

Veteran recruiting analyst Tom Lemming believes the university would be foolish to move in a different direction now that the burden has been lifted.

“As soon as this clears up, the recruiting should be great,” Lemming told Michael Casagrande of the Sun Sentinel. “Miami will be back to being a powerhouse, I think. Golden is a younger version of Nick Saban and Urban Meyer and he’s recruited very, very well considering this is swirling around.”

The clock might be ticking as Golden's seat grows warmer in Coral Gables, but expect him to keep things moving forward on the recruiting trail. If his new crop of talent creates more of an impact on the scoreboard, rumblings about job security should begin to quell.

Sunday's quartet of commitments provide further evidence Miami remains a destination university, no matter how long it's been since the squad hoisted a championship trophy.

It also provides hope that perhaps another title celebration may not be as far off as most believe.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.